A/N: It's the one year anniversary of "The source of my strength"! One year ago today, I posted the prologue to the Kink Meme. In celebration I changed my profile icon to a special piece of art. Appropriately this chapter has a very special milestone, so read on if you want to find out what it is. It's time for femslash!
Chapter 13: Three little words
December 22, 2030
Location: Newman-Woods residence
Time: 10:05 a.m.
When Juniper had finished her shower and changed into new clothes (A light-blue sundress) she went back into the hall where she had left Robin only to find her asleep. Juniper gently lifted Robin and carried her to their bedroom, then left her on their bed. Juniper was going to let Robin nap, as she had something to arrange regardless.
The engagement ring wasn't the only reason that Juniper had been gone for several hours this morning. She had also visited several of their mutual friends as well as scooped out several locations she and Robin could visit together, all a part of making sure today was the best day possible.
That being said, there had certainly been something nostalgic about seeing all her friends again, especially on the same day. It reminded her once again of her long-gone school days….
April 17, 2028
Location: Themis Legal Academy, Archery Range
Time: 3:55 p.m.
*thwip*
"Bullseye! Contestant Hugh O'Conner has taken the lead."
Juniper and Robin applauded as they watched their close friend continue to dominate the archery competition he was participating in. Hugh graced the audience around him with a smirk, soaking in the spotlight.
The smirk was replaced by a more sincere smile when Hugh met up with his best friends during a break in the competition.
"Nice job out there, Hugh," Robin said. "You're completely destroying the competition!"
"Sorry we can't stick around to watch the rest," Juniper added. "But Robin and I still have classes to attend today."
Hugh himself, being one of the best archers on the school's team, had special permission to skip over a couple of today's classes to compete in the contest, albeit he wasn't exactly looking forward to having to catch up later on.
"Just knowing that my friends are cheering for me will carry me through this," Hugh said, his attempt at being cool belied by how gooey his voice sounded with joy.
"Make sure you don't overexert yourself out there," Juniper continued.
"And if you need help with your schoolwork just ring us up anytime!" Robin added.
"I'll keep that in mind," Hugh said. "But I think I'll try to manage this on my own first. After all, I'll be on my own the day I finally face the bar exam."
"Oh no you won't," Robin said. "We're going to take the bar exam together, remember? Even if we're applying for different jobs we can still accompany each other to the testing site. And once we both pass we can watch Juniper take her oath for her Judgeship together."
"I understand. Thank you, my friends."
After seeing Hugh off at the next portion of his competition Juniper and Robin walked together for a short while, then gave each other a kiss goodbye before heading off to their respective classes.
Not that they weren't going to see each other again. In fact, tonight Robin was going to come over to Juniper's house for a study session that doubled as a sleepover. As a point of fact, it was the first time they were going to have a sleepover since their relationship had started, and it was going to serve as some much needed alone time between the two of them.
Well, that wasn't entirely accurate. Her Grandma was going to be there as well as was in fact insisting on serving food and drinks for the occasion. But Juniper wanted her to rest; when they had returned home from hiking over the weekend Juniper could tell that her Grandma had been sore all over, and was still aching today. This had been happening more often, lately, another indication of how time marched ever onward. But just as her Grandma had taken care of her, Juniper was more than happy to take care of her Grandma.
April 17, 2028
Location: Themis Legal Academy, Principal's office
Time: 5:45 p.m.
Halfway through one of her classes, though, she was called up to the Principal's office for reasons unknown. Given Juniper's position as the Student Council President chances are that was why she was being called, but even so she prepared herself for anything.
Entering the office, she noticed that the principal, being a short, paunchy man with gray, thinning hair, didn't seem to look stressed or upset- a good sign.
"Ms. Woods," the principal said, "Thank you for joining me. Forgive me for taking you out of class but I have something I wish to discuss with you as student council president."
"It's no problem," Juniper reassured the man. "I'm glad to be of service of to the school in anyway I can."
"That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about," The Principal said. "Of all the students that have passed through this fine Academy, you have done so much without asking for anything in return. You bore the role of informant without complaint, and as such helped stem the flow of corruption from our fine academy. Furthermore, you shone a spotlight on yourself by revealing your relationship with Ms. Newman in order to correct a grave wrong. Rarely have I ever seen someone so bravely risk themselves as you for the sake of the truth. Professor Courte would've been proud of you."
The glowing praise actually made Juniper feel very uncomfortable. The day her beloved mentor had died had been one of the most horrid of her life. Yet, Juniper's first response had been to do nothing but lie and keep secrets, the exact opposite of what Professor Courte had taught her. One of their final conversations had been Courte reprimanding Juniper for changing her mock trial script. In fact, if Thena hadn't set her straight Juniper would have willingly walked right into Professor Means' clutches, and Juniper didn't even want to think of what would have happened then.
The Principal ran a hand through his hair as he said, "At the end of this year you will be graduating from this Academy. But before then, I would like for you to recommend someone to succeed you."
Succeed me? "What do you mean by that, sir?"
"Someone reliable to take up the mantle of the informant, of course," The Principal said, unaware of how his words made Juniper feel cold all over. "You strike me as an excellent judge of character, and as student council president you have a special connection with the student body. As such, I would give your opinion serious weight."
Juniper opened and closed her mouth, but the only thing that came out was an abrupt coughing fit. To be thrust such a decision so suddenly, especially one that could detrimentally affect someone else's life, was almost more than she could handle.
Juniper had hated her time as an informant, but at the same time could see the necessity of her role. If there was only one thing she would have done differently, it would have been to go back and convince Professor Courte to go to the police instead of confronting Professor Means on her own. But Juniper hadn't known that fateful day what Courte's plan was, so to wish for a different conclusion was pointless. Even so….
"I can't in good conscience recommend someone else to be an informant," Juniper said firmly. "If my experience in this role has taught me anything, is that this isn't something that can be handled alone."
"I suppose, then, that you have some alternative solution ready?" The Principal asked.
"I don't have one," Juniper admitted. "But I think this issue should at least be brought before the student council for deliberation. Is that an agreeable compromise?"
"I find that to be acceptable." The Principal said. "I'd like for you to bring forth a proposal as decided by the student council before graduation, so that the administration can take it into consideration among other proposals that are submitted when we decide on the future of Themis Legal Academy. That is all. You may now return to class."
As Juniper walked out of The Principal's office her mind couldn't help but wonder,
Now what do I do?
April 17, 2028
Location: Woods Residence, kitchen
Time: 7:53 p.m.
"Watch your fingers, dear."
"Hmm? Oh, thanks for the warning, Granny. Is the peach smoothie ready?"
"Almost there. How much sugar did you want added to it?"
"No sugar at all, I think. Peaches are already really sweet on their own."
Juniper and her Grandma continued to prepare a light dinner that would be served once Robin arrived to kick off the sleepover, because from the moment Juniper had asked her about it Granny had made sure to do everything possible to make their guest feel welcome when she arrived. The dinner consisted of a chicken salad with peach smoothie as a drink.
Every so often Juniper could see her Grandma wince slightly with pain, but any time Juniper asked about it her Grandma said she was fine.
"I'm going to rest up with a nice heating pad and a good book in bed," Virginia Woods said. "and just let you have fun on your date with Ms. Newman."
Juniper blushed but didn't bother trying to rebut her Grandma's entirely correct point, reassured that Granny was still fine despite her advanced age. The two of them went back to their cooking and chatting, and inevitably her Grandma asked her about her school day.
Juniper first started with some minor details, such as how the coursework had increased with the finals approaching or how she answered a particular question. Eventually, Juniper mentioned the visit to the Principal's office, as well as her current dilemma.
It was a while before her Grandma answered, and when she did it was with much thought.
"Unfortunately as a former forest ranger I do not know much of the legal world, nor do I have knowledge on how Themis Academy functions," she said slowly. "However, I do understand the core issue- you are uncertain of what proposal to come up with, for fear that it will have negative repercussions on the students that come after you."
"That's right," Juniper said. "After seeing the likes of Professor Means and The Shadow, I realize that Themis Academy needs a way to keep corruption like this to a minimum."
"But you feel the weight of the fact that the Principal first chose to delegate this task to you," Her Grandma finished. "I can tell you this much- you did well in deciding to confer with the Student Council."
"Really? Why do you say that?"
"Because you acknowledge that this is an issue that is impossible to tackle on your own. This is also likely the reason why your proposal is going before the administration with many others."
Because some things you just can't handle on your own, Juniper realized. She had actually said much the same thing to Hugh earlier today. As she had done almost the entirety of her Juniper's life, her Grandma had cut straight to the heart of the matter.
"In that case, my proposal should reflect this; one that won't just dump everything onto a single person's shoulders." Juniper mused.
"Precisely. I'm sorry I can't offer you much aid beyond this."
"No, you've helped so much already," Juniper said. "Thank you, Granny."
Thanks to this conversation, she already had a rough idea of what her proposal would be.
*
Robin showed up not long after that, with Juniper greeting her at the door with a quick peck on the lips. Robin being Robin, she responded to this by going in for a deeper kiss, and the two wound up losing track of time. Luckily chicken salad wasn't a food that got cold.
Dinner was a lighthearted affair, with Robin talking with about her own school day before the three of them just shot the breeze about life in general. Juniper was glad to finally be able to relax and just soak in the domestic atmosphere.
"I'm curious of your plans after graduation, Ms. Newman," her Grandma asked at one point. "How do you plan to support yourself?"
"ANYWAY I CAN, MAANNNN!" Robin shouted. "Oh, sorry about that. I think I'm going to live with my parents for a while longer until I can save up enough to rent a small apartment for myself. I'm applying for jobs for the summer, and I'm also looking into taking to bar exam, so the legal world better be r-e-a-d-y for me!"
Juniper smiled warmly at the determination in her girlfriend's words. Her own plans weren't all that much different, just that her path would take a bit longer since being a judge had quite a number of requirements. Even graduating Themis Academy only did so much to alleviate the requirements by cutting the time needed to practice law and being a member of the State Bar by half, as well as a letter of recommendation to make joining the State Bar easier.
She wasn't sure if she wanted a place of her own, though. Being alone in the city was a thought that intimidated her even today, and she didn't want to leave Granny on her own either.
"Maybe Granny and I can move in with Robin."
It took a while for Juniper to realize she had actually said that out loud, after which she promptly covered her face with her hands out of embarrassment.
"Oh...well if that's the case I gotta make sure there's enough room for both of you!"
"Ah, the heady rush of young love. But I'd rather you two don't move things along too quickly, got it?"
Juniper sank in her chair, hoping to go invisible with enough effort.
April 17, 2028
Location: Woods Residence, Juniper's bedroom
Time: 9:07 p.m.
With that, Mrs. Woods retired to her room to enjoy her long awaited heating pad and book, leaving Juniper and Robin with pretty much the rest of the house to themselves. The rest of the house wasn't really too big, however, given that it was structured for just two people. It didn't have amenities like t.v.s either, as Mrs. Woods and Juniper much prefered to go outside to pass the time or curl up with a good book. As a point of fact, the most they had technology-wise was the landline in the house and Juniper's cell phone.
It was inevitable, then, that Juniper and Robin wound up in Juniper's room, just as Juniper knew they would.
"Um, if you want I'll go into the bathroom so you can change in privacy." Juniper said nervously. She knew from the moment she started planning this sleepover that they would run into this, and she wasn't entirely sure if she wanted Robin to accept or turn down the offer.
"I think we can change in the same room," Robin responded even as her face went red. "I mean, we're going to live together one day so I think it's better to get used to it. Just SMASH THROUGH ALL THE NERVES!"
Juniper appreciated Robin's encouraging attitude about the matter even with the shouting, so Juniper decided to return the favor by being the first to start to remove her clothes.
Both girls managed to change into their nightwear, both of them trying to not let what was going on get to them. The sight of her girlfriend's body in nothing but underwear made Juniper feel so hot all over she actually became briefly dizzy, and a quick look at the mirror revealed that her face was a shade of pink she didn't even know existed, although Robin could probably name it. Robin herself looked about almost ready to swoon the entire time.
"I'm so lucky to have such a beautiful girlfriend," Robin sighed dreamily once the two of them were finally finished changing. "I mean, it's not like I was staring or anything like that! I'm not like that! And there are plenty of super awesome things about you-"
Juniper kissed Robin on the forehead to calm her down, then said, "You're really pretty and cute yourself. We're girlfriends, right? We can compliment each other."
The rest of the night went much more smoothly, with the first activity being reading stories to each other out loud from Juniper's book collection, with Juniper being left in stitches from hearing Robin say things like, "He whispered softly in her ear," in all seriousness and with her usual enthusiasm. After that they relaxed by playing with each other's hair for a while before Juniper showed Robin some of the new clothes she was making, such as a pair of sweatpants requested by Thena, although Juniper omitted the outfit she was making as a birthday present for Robin later this year.
Finally, they lay down in their separate beds, with Robin taking a mattress on the floor along with some bedsheets and covers she had brought from home.
"Thank you for having me over today, Juniper," Robin said cheerily. "Today was wonderful."
"You're welcome," Juniper said softly. "I really needed this."
"Is this about your meeting with the principal from earlier today?" Robin asked, having been caught up during the dinner earlier.
"It is," Juniper confirmed. "But I do have an idea of what I want to present."
Some things you just can't do on your own. Juniper still planned to run her proposal before the student council, but not before talking about it with Robin. It simply felt like the right thing to do to share this with her girlfriend.
"If our law system is going to move forward we need to start working together more," Juniper explained. "And I think that Themis is the ideal place to start building this kind of mentality up. So I was thinking, what if we had a panel of students that are picked by a collaboration of the administration and the student body to handle student issues that come before it? I admit that it doesn't account for the teachers, and I'm not sure of the details yet."
"But we have to start somewhere, and what better way than to involve all the branches of the legal system," Juniper continued, actually starting to become passionate. "I think the panel should have six members, two from each course. That way we don't run the risk of things becoming too lopsided on one side. That's what I've thought up so far, at least. What do you think, Robin?"
Robin spent a notably long time going over what she had been told, with Juniper on edge the whole time. Finally, Robin turned towards Juniper with a brilliant smile on her face.
"You've really put a lot of thought into this," Robin said sweetly. "You're going to be a great judge one day."
"What makes you say that?" Juniper asked, wanting a straight answer.
"It's not like your proposal is immune to corruption," Robin said. "But then, nothing is, and I'll bet that no one else worries about individual students like y-o-u, my darling. Furthermore you may sure to include everyone you think can help in your proposal. So I think with some adjustment that idea can be something that can help Themis Academy for a long time to come."
Th-thank you, Robin," Juniper said, tearing up slightly from joy. "Just like the songbirds of the forests, your words always uplift my spirits. Just like your pretty smile, or the heart that beats with such joy and passion to everything you approach. Robin, you are the source of my strength, and I love you."
I love you. The moment Juniper said those three little words she realized that it was the first time she had said them to Robin. Yet at the same time, she didn't mind this because she had meant those words with every fiber of her being.
"I love you too, Juniper," Robin responded in kind. "The kind, beautiful, selfless person that that makes me smile and love each day even more, and that I can rely on to make sure I don't lose myself."
After the heartfelt exchange of this magnitude there really wasn't much more to be said. So the after Juniper turned off the lights the two of them bid each other goodnight and went to sleep.
If they had simply liked each other as more than just friends, from this day that was no longer true. Somewhere along the line they had really, truly fallen in love with each other.
December 22, 2030
Location: Newman-Woods residence
Time: 10:10 a.m.
"...So there are still tickets available? Can I have two? …...Thank you very much!"
Juniper hung up her phone, relieved that had gone as well as it did. Robin abruptly getting the day off had been both a boon and a curse, given that last second plans didn't usually get off the ground.
But everything had in fact gone smoothly. Now their third year anniversary was going to truly begin.
A/N: My profile icon was created by the talented Keto, who can be found here: .com. Just one more chapter left from my Big Bang supply. Hope you guys have enjoyed what I've written so far. I've experienced many things this past year that I wouldn't trade for the world. I hope everyone enjoys the next year of TSOMS with me! Until then, this has been Orion Fowl and thank you for visiting my corner of Romance.